Back To The Future Through The Arts And Humanities, And Study, Discipline, And Hard Work

During his tenure as Oakland mayor, Jerry Brown successfully reversed decades of neglect and economic decay and made Oakland one of the top ten green cities in America. He inaugurated the 10K Housing program, bringing 10,000 new residents to the heart of the city and creating a new urban vitality of art galleries, restaurants and festivals. Most noteworthy, the 1928 Fox Movie palace — dark for 30 years—was totally restored and expanded, becoming the home for the Oakland School for the Arts and a live music venue.

Brown personally founded the Oakland School for the Arts and the Oakland Military Institute, College Prep Academy. Both schools serve students from the 6th grade through the 12th and are among the best performing schools in Oakland. Their graduates are now studying in such outstanding universities as Yale, Vassar, Stanford, West Point, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, California State University East Bay, Le Cordon Bleu California Culinary Academy, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Middlebury College, Carnegie Mellon University, Wesleyan University, Mount Holyoke College, The Theatre School at Depaul University, Barnard College, Spelman College, Howard University, Berklee College of Music, Pratt Institute, California College of the Arts, Boston Conservatory, Fordham University, Texas A&M, Fresno State University, San Francisco State University, and Texas Southern University.

Currently, there are nine emphases at Oakland School for the Arts:

1. Arts Management
2. Dance
3. Instrumental Music
4. Literary Arts
5. Theatre
6. Vocal Music
7. Visual Arts
8. Digital Media
9. Circus :)

Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons. With thanks.

*

California Field Poll of 10/5/2010 shows Californians share near universal belief [93%] that California is in bad economic times. Personal economic status declining and many don't expect things to improve next year. Unemployment very serious and few see improvement in coming year.